Men rescued from riptide in Hampton

HAMPTON — Two men were rescued Thursday night after being caught in a riptide, while a 13-year-old boy who swam out to try to help was able to make it back to shore by himself, Fire Capt. William Kennedy said.

Kennedy said the two men, whose names were not available, were swimming in the Atlantic Ocean about 8 p.m. Thursday when a riptide carried them about 100 yards offshore. The men were not able to swim out of the current or back to shore and ultimately had to be rescued by two rescue swimmers and a rescue boat, he said.

Kennedy said a 9-year-old boy heard the men yelling for help and swam out to them. He said the men tried to climb on top of the boy and kept pushing the boy under the surface of the water.

"Somehow," Kennedy said, the boy was able to get away from the men and swim back to shore.